Tokyo Braces For Strong Typhoon, Facing Transportation Disruptions

TOKYO, Aug 15 (Bernama-Kyodo) – Tokyo and other eastern areas of Japan were bracing on Thursday for the approach of Typhoon Ampil, with flights and bullet train services cancelled for the following day, potentially affecting the return rush of travellers during the Bon summer holidays, Kyodo news agency reported.

Central Japan Railway Co. decided to cancel all Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train services between Tokyo and Nagoya for the entire day on Friday.

East Japan Railway Co. also decided to cancel a total of 20 bullet trains on parts of the Tohoku, Joetsu, and Yamagata shinkansen lines from around 11 am through the rest of the day on Friday.

On Thursday, trains and airports were already crowded with travellers who changed their itineraries to depart a day earlier after learning about the planned cancellations of flights and train services.

"Mika Nakamoto, a 19-year-old university student from Kobe in western Japan, was scheduled to travel on Friday to attend a music event in Chiba Prefecture near Tokyo but switched her ticket to a day earlier.

“It was a hassle to change the ticket because most of the seats were booked,” Nakamoto said at Shin-Osaka Station.

Japan Airlines Co. and All Nippon Airways Co. announced the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from Tokyo's Haneda airport and Narita airport, close to the capital, for Friday amid the return rush of holidaymakers.

"My plane won't fly, and my sister will not be able to come," said Yuki Nishiyori from Chiba, who was planning to meet her family in Yamaguchi Prefecture by flying out of Haneda airport on Friday.

Nishiyori, 57, said at Tokyo Station that she will use the bullet train instead.

Although the risk of the strong typhoon making landfall is currently low, it is expected to bring violent winds and heavy rainfall as it approaches eastern and northeastern Japan on Friday and Saturday, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The storm had an atmospheric pressure of 960 hectopascals at its centre, with winds of up to 198 kilometres per hour. As of 6 pm Thursday, the typhoon was located around 260 km south-southeast of Hachijo Island, travelling northward at about 20 km per hour.

In the 24 hours from 6 pm Thursday, the typhoon is forecast to bring up to 300 millimetres of rain to the Kanto-Koshin region, which includes Tokyo, 200 mm to the Tokai region, and 120 mm to the Tohoku region.

From 6 pm Friday, 150 mm of rain is expected in the Kanto-Koshin region and 200 mm in the Tohoku region.

--BERNAMA-KYODO